Vermillion Knights
by Silius1
Summary: Alea lacta est. When one is drawn through a vortex that robs one of everything by the machinations of corrupted elite, the victim of this incident: Dillon Virgil has to strive to overcome the forces pitted against him with what support he can muster from the connections he is able to create, even when the game is rigged from the start with the odds against him.
1. Chapter 1

"I'm home." With an utter deadpan voice, Dillon replaced his shoes with his slippers at the genkan, gently putting the case holding his customized Fujigen Gakki electric guitar painted black and gold, with a panther theme on the back, in a corner of his six-tatami sized bedroom next to the living room/dining room/kitchen "Not that there's anyone else living in this place." Dillon remarks with even less motivation in his voice as he looked about the studio apartment he has been calling home for the last four months, which has very little in the way of personal decorations since he is rarely at his house, thus he shouldn't focus on making it 'homey' when he typically only stays long enough to sleep. As soon as his prized possession was put back in his room, he returned to the genkan as he noticed a letter situated on top of a small table in the space. Taking it in his hands and walking back to the dining room to sit down at the kotatsu table, he tore open the envelope and calmly opened the letter within

[Vergil-san, we appreciate you coming to help us here at the theater so often with your music. It's a little bit funny that we were desperate when you first joined us since three of our usual talents suddenly decided to take up other professions and you helped bail out of trouble. It pains us that we ourselves can't offer you any sort of compensation for everything you've done to help us here, but it's only right that I let you know that some of your recent performances caught the eye of some donors who scout out talent outside the hotspots and look for unknown musicians. I know that the music industry is very competitive, but you deserve so much more than playing for some slummy theater like ours. You've attracted huge crowds with your music and you should have the opportunity to make it to the big leagues. If you would like to meet with any of them, let me know and I'll forward you their contact information.]

"Heh, the director always did act as a sort of father figure to me since I'm only eighteen. Issues back home forced me to move out and basically skip my third year. If I were perhaps living in the United States, I would simply transfer to a local high school, but the custom here in Japan is flipping strict, it's just not worth going through the hassle for one single year that's completely voluntary per the law. Bit of a shame the director went through this much effort when I'm about to get a secure job with an accounting firm. I may love music, but I've never liked the idea of labels since they only really care about money, only barely so about their actual musicians. Besides, I don't want to taint my love of music with money."

As he was reading the letter, he noticed his smartphone flash on with an email notification from his workplace, catching his eye as he pressed on the notification to open the email

[Dillon Vergil-san, on behalf of the company, I'm honored to say that your internship with our company as an accountant has been completed with high marks. Unfortunately, it is also my dissatisfaction that I must tell you that you will not be able to acquire a position with us. It was last minute, but all of our branch offices have undergone downsizing at the demand of our parent company resulting in over twelve hundred employees losing their jobs with us. Permanently hiring an intern, even one gifted like you, is simply not possible for us right now. However, know that I will not leave you out to dry. Whatever permanent job you believe suits you as a person, inform me of it and I will do everything I can to make sure you have it.]

"Well...fuck. I don't have a flipping job ahead of me now. At least Royama-san was nice enough to give me some security for whatever I'm looking for. Geez. Maybe I can try asking her for some security to get myself into the music industry itself. Getting in should be easy enough. Easy and minimal effort involved. Staying in will be the tough part. Then again, the director has the contact info for the scouts interested in me. I can work from there. Or maybe I should try looking for another accountant position at a different company. Regardless of what I do, I _CANNOT_ let myself be defeated and return to that bastard! I _REFUSE_!" Dillon sighed in discontent as he walked toward his bed and laid down on it, exiting the mail screen on his phone and began looking through the apps he has on it, holding it in the air above his face, the reflection showing his dark blue hair which goes down to his ears, bordering black, and dark ivory green eyes, a blue business suit he was wearing from his walk around town on his person "Okay, I need to suspend ones that require payments for a while until I have a stable job- Wait, when in the world did I download this app?" Looking closer at the app at question, which seems to be a mobile music game app, Dillon simply groans at the contents within "More of those BS mobile games that charge a fortune in microtransactions? Forget that noise. Dele-" As soon as he began moving his hand to delete the app, his phone's display began to be overwhelmed in static, replaced with a new black and white image shows on the screen which is rather commonplace with music labels, with the name being: Unicorn Virtual Music. Inc.

"Unicorn Virtual Music? Some international label I never heard of? Or maybe an obscure label here in Japan? Maybe one of the scouts are from them? But why contact me through such obscure methods?"

After this question, the music label picture was once again replaced, this time with pure darkness; dark red eyes with black sclera opening in half a second and a maniacal laugh ringing out around him

"Holy fucking shit!" Following this utter freak out, Dillon instinctively threw his phone across the room, having no idea just what is going on as the lights in his room flickered and died in seconds "Oh shit shit shit!" While Dillon normally is the kind of person who would be unfazed by anything and has a temper to boot, while he can repress the latter enough to maintain a professional attitude, the fact something bordering the paranormal is happening around him is completely unhinging him, making his vulnerabilities far too emphasized for his liking.

Moments later, he experiences something he could only describe as a sonic pulse in his mind as he is rapidly being robbed of consciousness as he feels himself pass out.


	2. Chapter 2

His recovery seemingly taking an eternity, Dillon began regaining some degree of consciousness as his eyes weakly fluttered, his mind slowly recovering from the strange sensation he felt when he was in his room, but was still unable to summon enough will to actually make his eyes reawaken

"Master, he's regaining consciousness!"

"Get him some water A. He might be dehydrated."

After hearing this, Dillon felt his mouth being gently opened as he feels the sensation of what is possibly bamboo, since he has never actually felt it before but simply suspected it as such, gently pressed against his face and water flowing down into his throat which is helping regain sense of his surroundings, giving him the strength to finally open his eyes. Based on the posture of the girl closest to him, he is lying on the lap of the girl with short bright rose pink hair hung in twintails and big blue eyes, her smile being comparable to that of a gentle comforting summer wind, wearing a short robe colored whitish-pink with a floral theme. Based on her current position, it seems the girl is sitting in such a way that his head is lying above the fabric of her clothes. But what rendered him confused were the mouse ears on top of the girl's person and the small tail at her back side. Standing close to him is another girl with long dark brown hair hung in a long ponytail, supported with red string and ornamental beads, and eyes, wearing a robe similar to the girl whose lap he's lying on, but colored dark blue; her expression hardly carrying any degree of friendliness as she looks completely stoic. Much like the other girl, this one has the ears and tail of a Shiba Inu dog, and lastly, hovering in the air to some extent is a large red daruma doll with cat ears and a white nose and mouth

"Er...what's going on here? Why am I out in this field and what's with the cosplay you two are wearing?" With some thinking, he associated the more serious voice he heard from the dog girl and can only presume that the 'Master' he heard of is the girl he is leaning on.

"That's what we want to know. And why are you calling our normal clothes cosplay?" In contrary from his belief mere moments ago, the other voice he heard before his eyes opened came from the daruma doll itself.

With a simple uncertain blink of his eyes, Dillon was struggling to gain proper coherence of the situation as his sanity was already being strained from what he experienced what felt like moments prior as he looked toward the two girls next to him "Er, am I going insane or did that daruma doll just talk?"

"Despite appearances, I am actually a person like you stranger. This is just a sort of disguise I use when I travel the countryside."

"Okay...then what about the animal appendages? Your ears and tails. Those surely are fake right?" Deciding now that he had been taking too much time in his current state, Dillon accepted the outstretched hand of the girl whose lap he was resting on and slowly pulled himself up.

The girl in the daruma simply sighed as it turned toward the two girls "A. Un. Do you two mind packing up our camp? I want to talk with this man by myself."

"Understood master!"

* * *

After seeing the pair depart, learning of the friendly girl's name as Un, the daruma fell to the ground in front of Dillon

"Do you mind if I inquire why you believe what we are is a work of fiction?"

"Well, where I come from, people don't wear animal accessories unless they're dressing up for fun."

"You're...You're making a poor case for yourself. It's honestly kind of confusing me. You say you live among Myumons who lack animal spirit? Based on your words, you are saying you are the same, but that simply cannot be. Especially when you are a panther Myumon based on what you possess on your person." Much like what she said, the woman's voice carried tones of uncertainty and turbulence.

After hearing this, Dillon instinctively moved his hands toward the top of his head and his lower back, feeling two triangular shaped bounds of fur and a finely combed tail "What the heck?!"

"So you weren't lying? This is new to you?"

"Obviously!"

"Hm...where are you-Actually. I should be asking for your name first."

"It's Dillon. Dillon Hi-I mean Virgil. Dillon Vergil. My friends gave me a nickname in Vermillion."

"That's a nice name. Dillon Vergil and Vermillion. But I'm going to stick with the former. My name is Daru Dayu. Now, can I ask where you are from if the idea of Myumons is foreign to you?"

"Finally a question getting right to the point to solve this confusion. I'm from Japan."

"Nihon?"

"Eh, close enough."

"I can't say I'm familiar with such a place. None of the twelve citystates here in Sound World have that name. Is Nihon a small village?"

"Not...really. Wait, you said the name Sound World. Is that the name of this world?" ' _Oh god, if this is going to be one of those sappy Isekai kind of stories, I am going to puke. That genre basically killed what little good classic literature that was left in Japan._ '*

"Indeed. Based on what you're saying, is this world you're from this Nihon? Do you mind if I ask how you got here?"

"Well, Japan is a country in my world. It's simply called Earth. And it's kind of blurry. It happened so fast. Let me try to remember...I noticed a strange app on my phone that led me to what I presume was an advertisement for a music label. I think it was called...what was the name? Oh! Unicorn Virtual Music." Dillon stopped speaking as he scratched the back of his head "No offense Daru Dayu, but could you come out of that thing? If anyone comes by, they're going to think I'm insane, talking to a massive daruma and all."

' _DAGGER! So he finally made his move and corrupted this young man into a dark monster. I can only presume that this Dillon was the dark monster that attacked Trichronika earlier. But who turned him back? More importantly, how long will it be before the bastard realizes that Dillon is not in his clutches?_ ' "You don't need to worry about such things here in Sound World. Things like this is considered the norm. But there is something I heard about earlier today worrying me a little. Do you mind if I look at your Melodisian Stone?"

"My Melo what?"

"Melodisian Stone. It's a special gem that exists in all Myumons. It contains sound energy that is an almost essential part of our day-to-day lives. Let me have a look at it."

"Er sure."

After giving this approval, Daru Dayu approached Dillon, the small arms reaching toward his chest as he felt something being pulled out, a small diamond shaped crystal manifested from a small myriad of colors that spawned around the area of his heart, the crystal having a faint glow amid the dark purple coloring

"Oh that is _not_ good. You probably won't understand this, but your Melodisian stone is very much corrupted right now. Corrupted and very much weak. It is as if you suffered some sort of sorrow in your past which made it weak when you came to this world."

"I take it that's a...bad thing?"

"Bad is a monumental understatement. If you become corrupted, you lose all sense of presence and hunt down anyone in your way. If my suspicions are correct Dillon, you have already been warped into such a being but someone was able to purify you. Unless you can strengthen your Melodisian, you will suffer this kind of fate time and time again."

"So what do I have to do? As you can imagine, I do not exactly want to be a mindless monster."

"If you want it to be stronger, you need to absorb positive energies from adoring crowds in concerts. Ideally, you will want to find a music label to affiliate with as a means of facilitating this. While we are independent, we already have some dedicated support in our homeland to give us traction. We call ourselves Tsurezure Naru Ayatsuri Mugenan."

Hearing this from Daru Dayu simply made Dillon deeply exhale as the Melodisian is returned back to his chest "Fair enough. So where should I go to find a label?"

' _Hm, Midi City is the closest city-state to here and it IS large, but it's also Dagger's base of operations. But then again, sometimes the best place to hide is in a crowd. And this man needs some traction if he's going to get by in this world._ ' Daru was feeling some degree of apprehension regarding the subject since it does mean it could potentially send Dillon right into the hornet's nest "Your best bet is Midi City. It's a few days southeast of here. Unfortunately, I don't know anyone who resides in the city so you are going to be on your own. But if you need support in any way, take some sound dollars, find a store that sells cell phones and add our contact information to them. I'll have Un provide you with what you need. Remember that we're all very busy people, so we won't be able to guarantee contact at all times. But we'll try to keep the line clear for at least a month until you're able to get things under wraps. Obviously, I'd hurry and find work so you can make yourself secure. If you need help in any way, we'll do what we can."

"Daru Dayu, you have no idea how thankful I am at this offer of generosity. I mean, I'm just some random schmuck you found in the middle of freaking nowhere. Why support me to such an extent? I'd expect you to rob me blind and leave me to die, or ignore me. The latter is something of a minor norm in Japan. Our culture is sort of reclusive and strict on morals."

"Then your people are idiots. No offense meant. But any culture that believes kindness is only a front for cruelty deserves to die out. Besides, you should be giving thanks toward Un. She was the most adamant about making you sure you came to with some comfort."

"Heh, you're not the only one who would think that way."

* * *

Exchanging some light-hearted chuckles, A and Un returned with their backpacks filled with the camp they had in the distance, Un passing a stack of bills, enough non-perishable food to last the next couple of days, a piece of paper with all three girls' cell phone information as they part ways: A, Un, and Daru Dayu going northward, Dillon receiving a friendly smile and wave from Un as he proceeds along the road to the southeast

'Well this is going to be quite something for me. I'm stranded in some unknown world with only the clothes on my back, some spare food and money given to me by Un, and three phone numbers so I have some help in the immediate future. But a few days. That's going to be fun. It's as if I'm going native and going on a long hike. I really hope it doesn't rain."

* * *

A/N: I do not necessarily share Dillon's viewpoint on the matter of Isekai aka Other World. I for one LOVE the genre, especially when done well, since I love the idea of alternate worlds with unique cultures. Heck, I've been doing it myself for the last couple of years, if barely, with my alien species. Outbreak Company, Re:Zero, GATE, Isekai wa Smartphone tomo ni, Konosuba, Re:Creators, and No Game no Life come to mind. But the quote: 'Too much of a good thing' is where I start having issues. Considering how popular the genre is becoming in Japan's anime, manga, and light novels, the fact it's becoming over-saturated is something of a worry, in my own honest opinion.


	3. Chapter 3

Five days have passed since Dillon met and parted ways with Tsurezure, the travel being difficult on him since he was never the most athletic, especially since he's spent days lying on the grass at night which tattered his clothes and hair which made his disgruntled appearance mirror that of a homeless runaway, which he technically was since he is stuck in Sound World with nary any official support beyond promises from the girls. But he finally arrived at the bustling metropolis which is overwhelming with people, quickly moving to the sidewalk to avoid the cars driving all around the cityscape

' _Okay, I need to get my bearings straight if I'm going to be staying here in Midi City. According to Daru Dayu, my best bet to stopping myself becoming a...dark monster is finding a music label so I can give my Melodisian some juice. But that's going to need resources and influence I don't have here. Most importantly, I need work if I'm going to get by. I mean, I have a little bit of spare money and food among what Un gave me, but after getting a cell phone, I need to conserve what I'd have left. Food, shelter. Those all cost money and I have very limited resources. As much as I want to resolve the issue, it's on a list of things I need to do. On a rating of 1-10, that's about a six. Furthermore I-_ '

Dillon was pulled from his thoughts as he bumped into a man with bright blue hair, sure signs of a small unicorn horn and ears above it, and sharp orange eyes, wearing a white jacket with a blue undershirt, white pants half covered with stylish blue boots and a yellow scarf wrapped around his neck, the impact making him fall to the ground

"S-Sorry. I wasn't watching where I was going."

"It is quite alright. I was distracted as well. Are you okay?" After this was said, the man offered his hand toward Dillon, accepting it to rise back up to his feet.

"Yeah. It's not too bad. Just a little headache and sprain on my legs at worst."

"You don't seem to be in the greatest of conditions. Your clothes are almost torn and you look ragged. The day is almost over. Would you be interested in getting some food and new clothes before stores start closing?"

"I'd be lying if I said I was disinterested. I have nothing to my name since I lost my belongings to a cliffside. It broke apart in the fall." While Dillon was lying right out of his ass regarding losing his possessions since he truly had nothing from his world with him aside from what he is wearing, he remembered his surroundings fluidly during his travels and there was a time when he walked dangerously close to a cliffside on his way to Midi City so he made that his excuse as to explain why he is so light on items.

"Ah. Let me get my bandmates and we'll go find a good place to replace what you lost. Oh. And my name is Titan."

"Dillon."

* * *

Following Titan's lead to rejoin his three stray bandmates, the bison Myumon among them, whom Dillon quickly learned was called Orion, the lamb being Selen and the gazelle being Argon, pulled out a very fancy cellphone from the inside of his jacket and called for a limo, all five getting in after being gestured to by a butler who stepped out of the driver's seat

"So can I ask who you guys are?"

"We are artists who have decided to form a band relatively recently: Arcareafact. We are with Judas, but we have not yet made our debut, so I have to insist you not spread this information to anyone."

"Heh, like anyone would trust a random stranger who went off the deep end so very long ago. You don't need to worry. I'm more worried about getting myself set up here in Midi City."

"Speaking of that Dillon. Where are you from?"

"It's a small village in the middle of nowhere, cut off from most of the world, you wouldn't have heard of it Titan. Don't worry yourself over it." While Daru Dayu and the others in Tzurezure took his real story more calmly than he could ever believe considering how far-fetched it was, he figured he should try inventing a more believable backstory that doesn't talk about the matter of other worlds so he wouldn't frighten people.

"The man makes a good enough point. Jii, take us to a suitable clothing atelier so this man can receive some proper attire."

Along the way, Orion opened a cabinet and pulled out a small black bottle from within while Selen took out four glasses from his side and distributed them among his group

"Care for some wine?"

"Sure, why not? I mean, I shouldn't be drinking this late at night, but one glass won't kill me."

Accepting the offer, Selen took out another glass and passed it to Dillon, which is quickly filled with a bright red colored wine. Despite the friendly nature of the people he's seen so far, Dillon waited for the others to drink first since he is slightly apprehensive about the whole thing; it dissipating once he watched them and joined suite

"Mm, this is some pretty good wine."

"It's vintage Bloublo Chiaretto. Each bottle is worth one and a half million sound dollars."

When Orion had responded to Dillon, he immediately began to choke out of shock, coughing as he struggled to recover "O-One and a half million sound dollars?! For such a small amount of wine?!" ' _Holy freaking crap! These guys are loaded! Well...I knew they were rich based on the limo here, but I never knew they had THAT much money!_ '

"Based on your comment, I take it you are a commoner?"

' _Freaking blue-bloods. I hate the self-entitled quote unquote elites. These guys may be the chivalrous sort, helping out a random stranger like me out of the goodness of their hearts. That earns points from me, I won't lie about that. But I can't stand it when they use the word commoner._ ' "Yeah, I'm from the countryside. You could say I was an employee of my family's diner. I did some of the cooking, but that was on the side, I primarily did entertainment with my guitar. It sucks I lost that to the cliff."

"Do you consider yourself a good guitarist Dillon?"

"Calling myself good...it's a tad subjective Selen. The people of my village did like it and my singing though."

"A guitarist and a singer huh? That is a deadly combination. Anyway, we're here."

* * *

After leaving the limo, Dillon was met with the sight of a large supercenter type of store clearly meant for a super rich clientele, following the quartet inside, feeling both surprised and not surprised at the extreme level of elegance at the interior

"I'll go find ya some righteous duds. Based on mere appearance, you seem to be more suited toward the colors black, blue, and dark red. I suppose I'll include one or two business suits as well."

"I'll make sure his choices are sensible." With this, the number of people in the group went from five to three: Dillon, Titan, and Selen.

"I'm going to head to the food court. Come meet me there when you guys finish whatever you need to do."

"So Dillon, considering you lost your guitar, would you want me to buy you a replacement? I imagine you'd also need a cell phone."

"Oh you have no idea. You have no idea how badly I'd want to get those things dealt with. It's the guitar I'm really kind of missing most."

"As a musician, I can sympathize with the feeling of missing your instruments. Let's get you the best guitar we can find."

With a proud smile, the pair walk about the building, quickly finding a music store outlet where they are immediately greeted by one of the cashiers upon entering

"Welcome, how can we help you?"

"My associate here needs a new guitar. What's the best one you have in stock?"

"The best huh? That easily would be the one in the case right over there." The clerk pointed toward a case in a far corner of the outlet, it holding a star-shaped guitar colored black and gold with a vibrant panther design "That there is Himsio. Made and used by Grateful King himself."

"G-Grateful King?! T-That's one of Grateful King's guitars?!"

"Er, who is Grateful King?"

The moment Dillon asked this question, both sets of eyes turned to him with emotions full of rage and surprise "HOW CAN YOU NOT KNOW WHO HE IS?!"

"I...I did say I was born in the remote countryside. I may love music, but I wasn't exactly able to follow international trends." Dillon had to force his words out, his tone sheepish since he feels like a child scolded by his parent or teacher for breaking rules.

"Oh right. Anyway; we'll take that one." Titan responds, remembering that Dillon did say he _was_ living in the countryside (even though it was a lie he fabricated) as he takes out a credit card and swipes it through the reader, though Dillon barely held back surprise since the guitar itself costs three million sound dollars since the band has already been spending exorbitant amounts of money.

"Very good choice sir. Considering the guitar in question, it requires a special case I keep here behind the register. On the house."

* * *

After getting the guitar locked in the case, they leave the outlet store and resume walking through the mall, choosing a small electronics store filled to the brim with cases holding cellphones

' _Gods, the cheapest phone here is 250,000 dollars. Normally I wouldn't be caught dead even THINKING about shopping at a place like this._ ' As he let this stew in his mind, he immediately thought back to the band that arguably helped save his life ' _Daru Dayu was only able to spare around three hundred sound dollars. Out of context, that'd probably seem pretty cruel to provide so little to someone who has nothing to his name, but considering they were traveling, I was surprised they had money on them period. Furthermore, it would've been kinder for me to travel with them, but they simply weren't equipped to support a 4th person for extended periods on that trip, especially a man like me. It would've been awkward for both parties, to put it mildly. Hm, as soon as I get a phone, I'll need to add their contact info to it. They did promise to keep lines of communication clear for a month to help me out._ ' After this, Dillon's thoughts wandered back to when Un had laid his head on her lap, fighting to stop a blush from appearing on his cheeks at the thought of it ' _While I was real calm about it in the spur of the moment, it really did have me flustered. I mean, a pretty girl like Un went out of her way to do something like that. I can still remember the smell of the perfume emanating from her; it smelled a lot like flowers. I-I need to get my mind off this right now. But that's going to be tough not thinking of someone pretty and friendly like her. I wonder if her li-NO, don't go there man! It was an act of kindness. Don't try warping it into something romantic when it's eating away at you. It was just an act of kindness from an outright adorable gir-DAMMIT!_ '

"Are you alright? You seem a little distracted."

"Oh. Erm, yeah. While I chose to leave my home of my own volition, I am a little bit homesick I guess you can say." Dillon spoke a half truth in this. While he was indeed homesick since he has been stuck in Sound World for almost a week, having been forced through by whatever drew him in, he lied about it being of his own free will. The closest semblance of such a thing is that he did activate the app himself, but even then, Dillon knew that many apps on phones in that day and age were capable of automatically activating to an extent, so he would've been forced to enter Sound World regardless ' _But who was the one who brought me here? Unicorn Virtual Music? Based on the name, it surely must be some sort of label here. If this is the case, I have to do whatever I can to avoid this one. Especially if they're rich beyond all belief like these guys and are willing to sidestep the idea of morality. The idea of being trapped in a gilded cage held captive behind strict contracts terrifies me to my core. They pretty up their contracts with unlimited budgets, bleeding-edge technology, whatever the position entails. It is beyond terrifying and something I want to avoid. I need to get information that will help me live in this world._ '

"Ah yes. Homesickness is something I'm sure any traveler can sympathize with. Anyway, I got you a good phone. Here. It has an unlimited minutes and texting plan, 10 GB data and its cost every month is very cheap at 50 sound dollars a month."

"Woah, thank you Titan. Now that I have this, I can finally call one of my friends and let her know how I'm okay. I miss her singing voice and I'm sure the vice versa applies." ' _Finally something with a very reasonable price tag. Of course, knowing these guys, it's probably a five million dollar phone hooked to a fair provider. For my own sake, I'd rather not know the price this time. All of these expensive purchases are giving me mini heart attacks every time it comes up._ '

"You're quite welcome. Come on, we have one more stop to make before rejoining Selen in the food court."

' _Oh boy, I don't need any more heart attacks right now. Where is this guy going to be taking me now?_ '

"Pardon me sir, but considering what you said just now, are you a musician?"

"You could say that. I'm not exactly a professional band-level musician yet, but I do have some skill. I plan on at least going professional soon."

"If you are going to try signing with a label, would you like me to add this number to the do not call list? Ninety nine percent of all bands prefer their personal numbers being inaccessible to the general public as a means of security and tranquility. They prefer keeping their contact information exclusive to friends and family."

' _Huh. I wonder if Daru Dayu and Tzurezure use that setting too? And if so, to think they trusted me with their personal contact info. Some random schmuck._ ' "I would like that, thank you."

* * *

Continuing their trek throughout the building after getting his new phone number added to the do not call list which promises that he won't be getting any calls from anyone aside from those he personally approves of, Dillon is quickly brought to a bank outlet

"Welcome. How can I help you?"

"I'd like to help my friend here open an account here."

"If I could see two forms of your ID, I'd be glad to get everything set up for you."

Once again, Dillon has to exercise the fabricated backstory he created to avoid any sort of complications regarding his real situation, though he is far from amused about lying so much, even if he has no choice "Unfortunately, I have no ID to give you Miss. I was born out in a remote village so I'm not in any government medical data banks and the suitcase with all of my possessions and proof of identification fell down a cliffside and was destroyed. I don't have anything to show unfortunately."

"Without any ID sir, I cannot provide you with an account with us in your own name."

"Figures as much."

"Then open an account in my name with him as a co-signer. Transfer ten million from my account to his to get him off the ground." Titan says this as he pulled out records of his own banking account and showed it to the clerk.

' _T-TEN MILLION?! WHAT THE FREAKING HELL?!_ ' This time it was not just Dillon caught utterly shocked, but the clerk as well was disturbed beyond belief at Titan's request as she struggled to regain coherence ' _With that amount of money, I would never have to work a day in my life provided I invest well and live a modest life._ '

It took a few moments for the shock to recover as the clerk deeply inhaled and exhaled before returning focus toward Dillon and Titan "Very well. Can I get your name so I can put it on our file?"

"It's Dillon Vergil."

* * *

After finishing their business in the bank, Dillon and Titan went to the food court to rejoin the rest of Arcareafact, who showed Dillon his new clothes to replace his tattered clothes and ate to their heart's contents. Once their stomachs were filled, the time came for them to part ways as Titan pointed Dillon to the nearest hotel. Upon checking in to a modest room at the hotel for 200 sound dollars, he quickly took a shower and changed into a fresh set of clothes as he crawled into bed and punched in Tzurezure's contact information into his new phone and dialed Daru Dayu's number first.

"Who are you and how did you get this number?!"

"Daru Dayu, it's me: Dillon."

"Ah. I'm glad to hear your voice. Based on the fact you're calling, you must have a phone."

"Yeah. I'm staying in a hotel for the night. I'm going to be looking for a job and a permanent residence. Once my needs are met, I'm going to start looking for a label to join."

"Heh."

"Uh, something wrong Daru Dayu?"

"Oh nothing really. You know. Un was completely devastated when you decided to leave to Midi City. She kept looking at her phone every five minutes wondering just when you'd call. She even blushed whenever doing so."

The mention of this level of attention from Un made Dillon himself begin to blush "R-Really? Un really did all that?"

"Oh most certainly. She adores you so much it's almost sickening."

"I...I see." ' _GOD DAMMIT! Just when I was trying to get the idea out of my head, Daru Dayu tells me that Un apparently freaking fell head over heels for me! I mean, I wouldn't exactly be opposed to the idea if it's mutual._ '

"-Not true Master!"

"What the heck was that?"

"Looks like Un caught on to me talking with you-" After saying this, Dillon quickly heard what seemed to be a struggle to grab the phone and Un's voice stammering out through the phone "I-It's not as bad as what Master is implying Dillon, I swear! I only checked my phone once or twice a day. I was only worried for your safety!"

"I-It's okay Un. It looks like Daru Dayu is more...playful than I realized. Was she joking about the whole thing?"

"Yes she is! C-Can you please drop it-BYE!"

* * *

Dillon was caught off-guard by Un abruptly hanging up the call, leaving him utterly dazed; blinking at just how weird it simply was to him "Well...that was one of the more... _interesting_ experiences I've had in my recent life." A deep sigh followed this "I really need some sleep. The next couple of days I'm going to have to wander through this entire freaking city, visiting government office after government office to get my 'replacement' identification issued. Well, if anything, I'm going to be familiar with the hotels here in Midi City. At least I have a huge nest egg thanks to Titan, and he even reassured me that he wouldn't touch a single cent of that ten million." Turning his body to face the guitar case kept in the corner of the room, Dillon weakly smiled at the sight of it "My new guitar: Himsio. I can tell that this puppy is going to be a big help in getting me into a label."


	4. Chapter 4

Over the course of the next couple of days, Dillon had been wandering all over Midi City getting official documentation which, in the end, led to him getting proper identification freeing him from the burdens that lacking it was causing him. Upon leaving the final government building, Dillon held the ID card that represented his proof of identity in the air and smiled proudly

"Oh my god. It took freaking forever to get this damn card! I spent days filling out dozens of forms at various offices, but it's finally done. I'm now a legitimate member of society here in Sound World. Here in Midi City." With this said, Dillon pocketed his ID and began walking about the sidewalk "Now that this is done, I need to start looking for a proper residence. I don't want to be living in hotels for the rest of my life. They're nice sure, but I still prefer having an actual home to call my own."

Continuing his walk and stopping at a quiet corner, Dillon pulled his guitar case close and stared at it, his eyes becoming half-closed with sorrow "I am not doing you any justice am I Himsio? Such a fancy, elegant guitar and I'm keeping you suppressed. I need to change that. And quickly. Guess I should-" Whatever he was going to say, it was interrupted by his phone, the caller ID identifying the caller as Daru Dayu "Something up Daru Dayu?"

"You could say that Dillon. I've been making some inquiries among small labels in Midi City in regards to potential affiliation for you. Although it would be far more ideal to be consulting major players like Judas as they could elevate you to the stage in no time, it is also risky since the enemy would find that much sooner. Although it will take longer, if you stay with a small label, your likelihood of remaining undetected will be higher and give you more time to develop your Melodisian Stone."

"Thanks for the help, but you got any labels interested in me?"

"A few, but there is one I recommend over the others. I'm slightly acquainted with the label owner of Banded Rocking Records: Maple Arisugawa. He used to be a part of Unicorn Virtual Music, but he split ways with the company because of a conflict of interest. I actually discovered that one of his recent sign-ons is actually in a similar state to yours by happenstance, though he's refusing to say who it is, and for good measure since I wouldn't either in his shoes. Abducted into Sound World. When I found this out, I asked him if he would be willing to sign you as well. You know, keeping everyone that needs shelter in one place and under the right level of watch. He is willing to do this, no questions asked. In the end Dillon Vergil, you are free of your choices and can choose any label you wish, but if you want someone who wants to help you in every sense of the word, I would recommend hurrying to BRR."

"Noted. Once again, thank you oh so very much for all the help Daru Dayu."

"You're welcome. By the way, we are actually on route back to Midi City for a performance relatively soon. If you want, I can try to get you a backstage pass for the event."

"Backstage? If you could pull it off, I'd love having the chance to see a show away from the crowd."

"Then we'll consider it a priority." Daru Dayu laughed at this for a time before silencing it and regaining her calm tone of voice "I'll try to keep you in the loop Dillon. See you when we make it to Midi City."

"See you then."

After ending the call, he quickly began searching through the phone's apps and opened up the map

"Okay, I need to look up the company on this map. Daru Dayu said it was called Banded Rocking Records. High time I check the directions from here to it." Punching in the locations in the interface, Dillon quickly found how far away it is from where he currently is "Twenty-five miles. Charming. Unless I'm able to walk say five miles an hour, I'm not sure I'm going to be able to reach it before nightfall. I can't schedule any kind of appointment since their number is declassified. What the hell? I mean, I get why labels would want to maintain some secrecy for their talents, but wouldn't they want to have some sort of PR number if people wanted to apply? Maybe they're new? I guess I'll find out later."

* * *

With a plan of action on walking to the company set, Dillon began walking through the city streets but stops when he begins to notice a crowd in the distance gathered around what seems to be a modest sized concert hall with a sign above it describing it as S-River Hall

"Are you folks ready for the Battle of the Bands showdown between Criticrista from Unicorn Virtual Music and from their competitors in Banded Rocking Records: Plasmagica!"

' _Oh frick, UVM is here?! Need to keep a low prof- Wait, Plasmagica?! How can this be?! I had a CD of Plasmagica's songs back in my apartment! They were years old, yet this is a Battle of the Bands competition to debut new bands. How is this possible? Either this is a copycat band using their name or...was I sent back in time? But that doesn't make sense. Isn't this another world?...Unless this world is anchored to Earth?_ '

Staying outside the crowd as he watched Plasmagica's performance on the screen above them all, each member of the band standing on floating heart-shaped platforms as they played their instruments in accordance with the song; Dillon recognizing it from the CD ' _Maze of Destiny?! I recognize the vocals. So this is the very same Plasmagica from about twenty years ago? If Plasmagica is indeed doing their debut, I have most certainly gone back in time. Or rather: Pulled through time. Okay, this is way freaking weird. I mean, depending on the specific year in question, I may be physically older than my mother and father right now. Yeesh._ '

After seeing the performance end, Dillon began walking around the crowd and quickly finds a rather ramshackled van with a logo listing it as property to Banded Rocking Records a short distance from the concert hall "Wow. Found them already."

As soon as he finished this, he felt a strong hand keeping him from moving "I don't like obsessive fans like you stalking my fellow band members. When I let you go, take a long hike where you came from."

"Dude, get your hand off me!" Spinning in place, Dillon quickly met the sight of a leopard Myumon wearing a leopard print vest and brown pants being the one keeping him restrained, with three others next to him, and as soon as he had secured sight of the stance of his restraint, he was able to determine the perfect way to free himself, deciding to take a blunt approach by using a down chop on the man's arm.

"Looks like this cattle has some fire to him. Aion, Yaiba, time to rock!"

"D...Did you just call me...Oh that is it you puny bastard! I went easy on this freak, but you're going to get the full strength of the martial arts I was forced to do almost every day!" While Dillon normally would've tried to restrain himself, he hasn't had the chance to vent any grievances that had been festering in his heart for almost a week and a half since he was taken into Sound World.

Within moments, the peaceful atmosphere was overshadowed by one of conflict as the quartet threw themselves into the fight, which is almost immediately stopped when a very stern voice rang out around them "STOP IT RIGHT NOW SHINGAN!"

Hearing this had the quartet stop in their tracks, Dillon freezing in place as well, the sight of a small walking egg with a large mustache and the band that had been performing not long ago: Plasmagica behind him

' _For whatever reason, this man being an egg doesn't seem to surprise me. I mean...he's a FREAKING egg and I'm not shocked in any way! This world is quick to desensitize me._ '

"Prez, we found this creepy fan trying to stalk our agency!"

"Screw you! You're only saying that cause I kicked your freaking ass feline! Listen, I was told to look for you guys!"

"You were asked to find us? Who is this person who sent you?"

"Daru Dayu."

"So you're the one Daru Dayu told me about. Shingan, Plasmagica, meet our newest sign-on. The one I talked about before this battle of the bands."

"Are you telling me you signed this asshole into our agency Prez?!"

"Quit starting shit you freaking hedgehog!"

"Enough! I will not tolerate fighting among my bands! Shake hands and play nice." Hearing Maple's stern admonishment, Crow and Dillon reluctantly shook hands "My name is Maple Arisugawa, CEO of Banded Rocking Records. Let me introduce the two bands in my employ. Dillon Vergil, this is ShinganCrimsonZ: Crow, Rom, Aion, and Yaiba. And in Plasmagica: ChuChu, Retoree, Moa, and Cyan."

' _Cyan? Interesting name there. Not sure who in the world would name their kid after a color. I mean, some of my friends call me Vermillion, but that was just a nickname because of my name. Dillon Vergil. Vermillion._ '

"C'mon sugars, we need to get back to the agency. It's getting late after all, and I'm sure Dillon wants to get some rest."

"Speaking of that pyuru, where is Dillon going to sleep? All of the rooms are taken pyuru."

"Oh yeah, I forgot about that Moa. Where are we going to put you for the night?"

"Just point me to a motel close to your agency and I'll rent a room there."

"Ern, there aren't any sort of hotels or anything close within a mile of our agency sugar."

" _Charming._ " Dillon sighed at the revelation of a lack of occupancy for him to retire to when the day ends.

"Dillon, you can stay in the cafe for the night and we can look for something permanent afterwards."

"Well, I appreciate the gesture Prez. Honestly, as long as there's a roof over my head and it's warm, I'll take it."

"Well, I can't guarantee warmth, but you'll have a roof over your head."

"Eh, half is better than none. Let's get to the agency."

* * *

As the group piled together into the van, returning to the building after an hour's drive and entering the cafe, seeing the two bands walk upstairs, leaving himself and Maple in the cafe itself, the latter locking the door first before approaching Dillon who chose to sit on one of the benches at a table.

"Okay Dillon, now that everyone's gone, I need to tell you something. Daru Dayu filled me in about the dark monster incident against Trichronika. How the chances of you being that very monster being remarkably high when we compared reports. They found you a mere hour after Cyan defeated the dark monster. The likelihood of this being coincidence is rather low. When she asked me to take you in, I decided to bring ShinganCrimsonZ for some extra security."

"I don't really get why you're telling me something I already know Prez."

"Then you know you nearly killed Trichronika when you were a dark monster?"

"K-Kil-W-Was I really about to-?!" Hearing Maple say this so nonchalantly made Dillon utterly freak out and stutter out his words as he did his utmost to fight picturing the event since he simply does not want to believe he was about to commit _murder_. He would not deny he is fiery and is unafraid of using his martial arts against people when they are about to start a fight, but he keeps his attacks as non-lethally as possible. Fighting, he has no qualms about. _Killing_ ; that's something that disturbs him to his core.

"Yes. It was horrible really. Honestly, if Cyan hadn't been there, you would've-"

"President...please...stop. I don't want to talk about this anymore."

"You cannot always choose to run away and hide yourself in blind ignorance. Strengthen yourself and your Melodisian and you'll develop an immunity to negative energy."

"Yeah. Daru Dayu told me this already. Prez, I really need to get some sleep. Can you spare me lectures I've already gotten?"

"Very well, I'll see you in the morning Dillon Vergil. Before I can consider you an official part of BRR, I'll need you to perform a demo to see just how talented you really are if Daru Dayu's vouching for you. It's rare for a band to go to this extent."

* * *

Seeing Maple walk up the stairs at the backside of the cafe and turning off the lights making the cafe pitch black, though his newfound feline body also blessed his eyes more innate night vision making so he is not stumbling in the dark, Dillon walked toward one of the diner tables and laid down on the seat behind it, trying to make himself comfortable as best as humanly possible, especially with the tail at his backside; a challenge Dillon has suffered through each night since his instincts keeps fighting the idea of the appendage existing and it has caused him minor pain because of his hard-trained mindset as human, even with the beds he rented at motels.

"Ugh, obviously not meant to accommodate a person in this direction. At least it's cushioned. So...silver lining?" Just to add insult to injury, the air began getting colder as the heater made a sound suggesting it was on its last legs for the night "Dammit. Just when things couldn't get any worse, the air becomes ice cold. Wait, I just freaking jinxed myself. Please don't get any worse than it is now!"

Moments later, the light of a flashlight began illuminating parts of the room, making Dillon raise his head to see ChuChu approaching, carrying some folded sheets and a pillow in her off-hand, the flashlight in the other

"Brr, I knew it gets cold down here sometimes, but I never knew it was _this_ bad. I brought you some cushions to keep you warm for the night sugar. I don't mind losing mine for a night."

"I'm not going to steal a girl's sheets and pillow ChuChu. I can power through this." Despite his words, Dillon is shivering to the core of his being, even when he is wearing his business suit, aka his thickest choice of clothes.

"You're not fooling anyone Dillon. Just accept this gesture before you catch cold. You don't want to have hypothermia the day of your demo."

Accepting the cushions, albeit reluctantly, Dillon put the pillow at the end of the seat and took the neatly folded sheets in his hand, looking toward the bunny myumon close to his side "While I've come to accept that people here in the city are unbelievably kind, far more than I was led to believe by my elders, why are you willing to share your sheets with a stranger?" Dillon hid a sigh in his mind at the fact he had to fall back to his fictional backstory once again ' _I know it's necessary, but I dislike pretending that I'm from an unknown village in the middle of nowhere. But it's better to avoid unnecessary panic, I guess._ '

"If things work out, we're going to be a part of the same agency so it's only right we try to get along."

"I see." A weak hum followed this, Dillon's heading hanging low for a moment before returning attention toward ChuChu "Say, I want to ask you something. How are your two bands treated here at BRR? Are you actually treated as people or just as a cash grab?"

"Obviously the former! I don't think there's a single label that would ever treat its bands as the latter!" Taking a moment to calm her rattled nerves, ChuChu racked her thoughts clear "If it is not personal, may I ask why you seem so cynical?"

"Eh, blame my elders. They've spent their lives filling our heads with horror stories of the outside world, making us fearful of developing trust with strangers and all that jargon. Although I like to think they had merit for making us some degree of paranoid for safety's sake, they laid it on a tad thick."

"Oh I see. I think they were just being protective cause they care about you all." After saying this, her eyes darting toward the guitar case lying on the bench on the other side of the table "Did you bring that guitar from your home?"

"No, a sympathetic patron bought this for me about a week ago when I made it here to Midi City. I lost all of the possessions I brought from my home so I had to get the essentials replaced." Pulling himself up and taking the guitar case as he placed it on the table in front of ChuChu, opening it so the girl can see it for herself

"There's a signature on it? Let me see-...GRATEFUL KING?!"

Dillon stopped for a moment to rub his head to recover from the shriek he just received from ChuChu before talking again "Yeah. This was one of his guitars according to the clerk. He named it Himsio, and although I was told of how to properly say it, because of my dialect, I tend to address it as He-me-so. I take it you're a fan of his too?"

"The biggest. He's the reason I wanted to join the music industry and it eventually led me here to Banded Rocking Records and Plasmagica. He's a legend and sort of idol in Sound World."

"Heh, hearing so much of this is making me want to meet the man and perhaps even challenge his place. I've written some songs in the past and I've performed using them; the people in my village were really addicted to it. Singing, playing the guitar, writing songs; I was oft called something akin to a savant. Once or twice, I was told I should try going for the big leagues in Midi City since I had a real talent for music."

"You write songs? Do you mind playing one for me? It's rare to meet people able to do it all."

"Won't it wake everybody up if I do?" Dillon asked, his head leaning upwards to where everyone else is.

"As long as you don't plug in an amp and raise your voice for the entire thing, I think it'll be fine."

"Well, okay I guess. I don't have access to my sheet music so I can't recreate the instrumentals precisely or perfectly repeat the lyrics, but there is one fresh on my mind. I called it Delusion Fortune."* ' _While that wasn't one of the songs I wrote, it was one I did a rendition of back in the theatre that people outright loved. The original had a full accompaniment in the instrumental, but since I only had a guitar, I changed the instrumental to that of pure guitar with a bit of metallic flair._ '

Taking the guitar out of the case and moving it in front of him so he has easy access to the strings, Dillon took a few minutes to recall the vocals "Sorry, but I can't remember all of the lyrics without the sheet music I had composed. It's something of a miracle that I can remember a few verses."

"It's okay, just play what you know."

"Okay, here I go." Taking a moment to calm the nerves he typically gets before performing, Dillon poured his focus into recalling what he can of the song, playing what he can of the instrumental since he had not played anything with this specific guitar and he knows enough that guitars have a different feel based on the design.

" _The stage of battle, the blossoming exhibition. We can't give up victory. The peak of voltage, our hearts ache. High tension. Saving is impossible. Gather each and every heart. We want to protect the world together. Cut through fate and create a new path._ " As he sung this, keeping his voice trained low as to not disturb the others while also allowing ChuChu to hear him, he abruptly stopped after this verse with a frown "That's all I can remember of this song unfortunately. I'd have to either recall the lyrics through memory or write something new for the full version."

"That was amazing Dillon! You really wrote that song?"

"Pretty much. This was one of the songs I would play in the diner where I used to work." ' _Please forgive me for lying original artists, but to be fair, the song probably doesn't even exist in this current time period! Besides, I think I'm allowed some creative freedom since this is a different world?_ '

"Wow. How long have you had this kind of amazing talent Dillon?"

"Ehehe, you don't have to go that far. Honestly, I'm not exactly that good at this. I'm more suited to being an administrative assistant if anything."

"Why are you putting yourself down like that? You seemed so sure of yourself a few minutes ago, now you're suddenly acting so pessimistic."

"Well...blame my upbringing again. We're taught to downplay achievements. They want us to be humble above much else."

"Your home seem...bizarre. Why would they want you turning your head away from achievements? It makes me think they're trying to squash personal talent."

"Look, I get where you're coming from ChuChu, but we're a more...reserved kind of folk. Furthermore, they teach us to downplay our accomplishments with the belief we can always exceed what we actually produce. Erm, I'm really kinda tired from recent events, can we talk tomorrow? I want to be fully alert when I do my audition."

"Sure, I'll let you sleep. I'll come see your demo if you want."

"If you want to, go for it."

"Thanks Dillon, I can't wait to hear which song you're going to choose for your audition here for BRR. Good night."

"Night." Dillon simply gave a light wave of his hand as he saw ChuChu walk back upstairs, leaving him in the pitch black cafe, putting the guitar back in the case and locking it tight, followed by him putting it back on the other side of the table and then wrapping himself up in the sheets given to him by ChuChu, quickly falling asleep, with one last monologue in his mind ' _I wonder if there'll be a time when I'll be given the chance to head back to Earth. More importantly, would I want to go back when I've been treated so kindly here? I mean, a band of wealthy moguls helped out a random stranger, buying him food, clothes, and even a guitar belonging to a legend; a wandering trio gave said stranger some spare money, food, and even shared their private numbers. I mean, if I ever wanted to escape from old nightmares, this world is certainly the best place. But doesn't that I mean I'm just running from it all? Geez._ '

* * *

A/N: The song in question this time is from the video game series: Hyperdimension Neptunia, specifically one of the more recent titles: Megadimension Neptunia VII. In the OST, it is called Mousou 4Tune, which has a rough english translation as Delusion Fortune if you say it a certain way, which is sung by the seiyuus of the 4 recurring Goddesses of the series: Rie Tanaka (Neptune/Purple Heart), Asami Imai (Noire/Black Heart), Kana Asumi (Blanc/White Heart), and Rina Satou (Vert/Green Heart). The subtitled lyrics I am using for this song came from the youtube channel: Anonymous_Neko who did translations of multiple Neptunia songs; Props to ya Neko. Of course, far more credit goes toward the original singers and the people who created the song.


End file.
